List of ships of the Queensland Maritime Defence Force

In 1884, following the recommendations of the Jervois-Scratchley reports, the Queensland Marine Defence Force was established. To equip the new force, the Queensland colonial government purchased two gunboats and a torpedo boat. Queensland bought eight more vessels to create the second largest fleet in the Australian colonies behind Victoria. With the federation of the Australian colonies, those vessels still in service joined the Commonwealth Naval Forces in 1901 and the Royal Australian Navy when it was formed in 1911. No ship ever met the enemy in battle or fell victim to enemy action; most had long, albeit in some cases humble, careers in both naval and private hands past World War II.

Vessels in alphabetical order

B NameTypeClassDatesDisplacementArmamentNotesReferencesBonitoAuxiliary gunboat–1884–unknown450 tons1 × 64-pdr gun–BreamAuxiliary gunboat–1884–unknown450 tons1 × 5-inch gunDive wreck Tangalooma

D NameTypeClassDatesDisplacementArmamentNotesReferencesDolphinAuxiliary gunboat–1884–unknown450 tons1 × 5-inch gunDive wreck Tangalooma

G NameTypeClassDatesDisplacementArmamentSpeedNotesReferencesGayundahGunboatGayundah class1884–1918360 tons1 × 8-inch gun; 1 × 6-inch gun; 2 × 1.5-inch gun; 2 × machine guns10.5 knotsBreakwater Woody Point

M NameTypeClassDatesDisplacementArmamentSpeedNotesReferencesMidgeTorpedo launch–1887–1912–1 × 3-pdr gun; 2 × machine-guns; two x 14-inch torpedo dropping gear––MinerMining tender–1887–190165 tons–8 knotsBreakwater Bishop IslandMosquitoTorpedo boat–1884–1910–––First warship in Queensland service; served in the RAN between 1901 and 1910.

O NameTypeClassDatesDisplacementArmamentSpeedNotesReferencesOtterPatrol vessel–1887–1906220 tons1 × 5-inch gun (replaced later with 1 × 64-pdr gun)–Requisitioned by RAN in World War I and World War II.

P NameTypeClassDatesDisplacementArmamentSpeedNotesReferencesPalumaGunboatGayundah class1884–1916360 tons1 × 8-inch gun; 1 × 6-inch gun; 2 × 1.5-inch gun; 2 × machine-guns10.5 knots–PumbaAuxiliary gunboat–1884–1901450 tons1 × 5-inch guns–Rebuilt in 1958 and renamed Enterprise, served as a civilian cargo vessel into the 1970s.

S NameTypeClassDatesDisplacementArmamentSpeedNotesReferencesStingareeAuxiliary gunboat–1984–1895450 tons1 × 5-inch gun–Dive wreck Tangalooma

Vessels in chronological order by class

Torpedo boat Mosquito

Gayundah-class gunboats Gayundah Paluma

Patrol vessel Otter

Auxiliary gunboats Bonito Bream Dolphin Pumba Stingaree

Torpedo launch Midge

Mining tender Miner

See also List of Royal Australian Navy ships

Notes

References